TY - JOUR
T1 - Mueller matrix polarimetry of electro-optic PLZT spatial light modulators
AU - Sornsin, Elizabeth A.
AU - Chipman, Russell A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The bulk PLZT modulator array was provided by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Support for these measurements was provided by UAH's Center for Applied Optics. The thin-film, chemical vapor deposited PLZT device and support for its characterization were provided by Dr. Jing Zhao of NZ Applied Technologies, Woburn, MA. Dr. J. Larry Pezzaniti (now at Abbott Laboratories) designed and built the Mueller matrix imaging polarimeter (MMIP) and was instrumental in the early measurements for this project. Dr. Shih-Yau Lu has contributed greatly to the continued development of Mueller matrix decomposition algorithms.
Publisher Copyright:
© 1996 SPIE. All rights reserved.
PY - 1996/8/16
Y1 - 1996/8/16
N2 - Mueller matrix polarimetry has been used to determine operational efficiency and material quality in lead-lanthanum-zirconium-titanate (PLZT) electro-optic modulators. PLZT is a transparent, quadratic electro-optic ceramic which is a candidate for the next generation of electro-optic interconnects and modulating devices. The Polarimetry group at the University of Alabama in Huntsville has measured Mueller matrices for several sample devices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the optical quality of the transmissive PLZT devices, determine the uniformity of the modulation across the active area, and calculate the quadratic electro-optic coefficients. High-resolution imaging polarimetry has demonstrated the uniformity of the polarizing and polarization-scrambling properties of a bulk PLZT spatial light modulator array. The Mueller Matrix Imaging Polarimeter (MMIP) was used to produce magnified maps of device regions; this data provides insight to the material uniformity, proper contact of drive electrodes, distribution of the applied electric fields, and quality of the surface. Light scattering from ceramic grain boundaries was also observed to result in some depolarization of light exiting the device. A single-channel Mueller matrix polarimeter measured spatially-averaged device performance for a range of applied operating voltages. This information easily determined the electro-optic coefficients for the modulating material. Several chemical vapor deposited thin-film PLZT devices were studied, and the quadratic electro-optic coefficients compared favorably to that for bulk PLZT.
AB - Mueller matrix polarimetry has been used to determine operational efficiency and material quality in lead-lanthanum-zirconium-titanate (PLZT) electro-optic modulators. PLZT is a transparent, quadratic electro-optic ceramic which is a candidate for the next generation of electro-optic interconnects and modulating devices. The Polarimetry group at the University of Alabama in Huntsville has measured Mueller matrices for several sample devices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the optical quality of the transmissive PLZT devices, determine the uniformity of the modulation across the active area, and calculate the quadratic electro-optic coefficients. High-resolution imaging polarimetry has demonstrated the uniformity of the polarizing and polarization-scrambling properties of a bulk PLZT spatial light modulator array. The Mueller Matrix Imaging Polarimeter (MMIP) was used to produce magnified maps of device regions; this data provides insight to the material uniformity, proper contact of drive electrodes, distribution of the applied electric fields, and quality of the surface. Light scattering from ceramic grain boundaries was also observed to result in some depolarization of light exiting the device. A single-channel Mueller matrix polarimeter measured spatially-averaged device performance for a range of applied operating voltages. This information easily determined the electro-optic coefficients for the modulating material. Several chemical vapor deposited thin-film PLZT devices were studied, and the quadratic electro-optic coefficients compared favorably to that for bulk PLZT.
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U2 - 10.1117/12.246217
DO - 10.1117/12.246217
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85075939276
SN - 0277-786X
VL - 2873
SP - 196
EP - 201
JO - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
JF - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
T2 - International Symposium on Polarization Analysis and Applications to Device Technology 1996
Y2 - 12 June 1996 through 14 June 1996
ER -